Centrifugal concentrator



Oct. 20, 1925 1,557,672

H. A. DOERNE'R CENTRIFUGAL CONGENTRATOR Filed March 14, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet} BY FwVQM MTM ATTORNEYS H. A DOERNER CENTRIFUGAL CONCENTRATOR Filed March 14. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

PATENT "OFFICE.

HENRY Arman remain, or sumo, mavens.

OEN'I'RIFU'GAL CONGENTMTOIL.

Application filed March 14, 1824. Serial No. 899,216.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. DonnNEn, a citizen. of the United States, residing at Reno, in thecounty of Washoe, State of Nevada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Concentrators; and I do hereby declare the follow- N specific gravity,

ing to be a full, clear, of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7 p

This invention relates to centrifugal con centrators and its object is to provide an improved method of and a paratus for separating finely divided soli s of different densities in a continuous operation and by the action of centrifugal force. The'invention is especially adapted for the concentration of values in crushed ores, slimes and similar -materials.

The application of centrifugal action to the separation of finely divi ed solids of different densities, such as the concentration of ores, has frequently been suggested and tried in the'past. So'far as I am aware, these prior centrifugal separators or concentrators have not encountered much success or favor in the industrial arts. My present invention aims to provide an improved method of and apparatus for the application of centrifugal action-to the separation of finely divided solids of different densities, in a continuous operation.

In accordance with thepresent invention, the finely divided solids of different densities, such as an ore, to be separated or concentrated, are subjected to the action of centrifugal force while suspended in a fluid, such as water, having a flow substantially opposite in direction to the direction of the centrifugal force. The solids of lower sp) cific gravity are carried to an overflow y the fluid current, while thesolids ofhigher on-account of their greater response to centrifugal action, travelagainst the flow of the fluid ously discharged. The solids of higher specific gravity are continuously removed from the region of se aration by an automatica-ll operating liqui sea], such as a mercury sea The solids of lower s ecific gravity are also continuously remove from the separating region.

The invention will be more readily under and exact description- .tion above the circu current and are continu-' stood by reference to the accompanying drawings taken in con'unction with the following description. T e drawings illustrate an apparatus particularly ada ted for the practice of the invention. In t e drawings,

F g. 1 is an elevation mostly in section;

Fig; 2 is a detail sectional view'of a portion of the apparatus; and

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus there illustrated comprises a' base 5 bolted or otherwise 7 a pro riately secured to a foundation 6. ho low vertical shaft 7 is mounted in the base 5. A hub 8 is supported by ball-bearings 9 and is mounted to rotate about the shaft 7 as an axis. Appropriate lubrication for the revolving parts 15 provided by a pipe 10. A bevel gear 11 is keyed to the hub 8 and meshes with a com panion bevel gear 12 secured to a shaft 13 appropriately driven from source of ower.

The hu 8 carries a horizontal circular bottom plate 14 which may be integral there with or otherwise appropriately secured thereto. A plurality of hollow annular members 16 are super osed in spaced rela- These members 16 are mounted on vertical rods 17 and are held in spaced relation by a second series of annular members 18 and spacing blocks 19 similarly mounted on the A rods 1 The interior of. the hollow annular mem-' bore 16 is divided into a number of chambers or compartments 20 by partitions 21 (see Figs. 2 and 3). Each chamber 20 is connected to an independent fluid sup ly pipe 22 leadinifrom a common distributing manifold 23.. plurality of relatively small holes24 lead from each chamber 20 to the bottom face of the holes 24 extending in a directi'on substantiall parallel with the downwardly and inwar 1y flaringinner face of the annular member 16. m

The annual members 18 p and inwardly flared aprons 18. A series of upwardly and outwardly flared annular members 25 are bolted (at 26) to the to s of the hollow annular members 16, neart e inner edge thereof.- The three annular me1nbars 16, 18 and 25 areso positioned that an annular member 16; the

have downwardly I any suitable ar bottom plate 14.

' ticles to beseparated or concentrated (fed into the bottomof the bowl through the the product or concentrate of higher specific gravity is effected by. means of balanced forces. The bottom or lower end of each passage27 communicateswith the inner end of an annular discharge compartment 29. The outer side or face of each of the discharge compartments 29 is open and communicates with an independent launder or hopper 30. p

A spider frame 31 is mounted on the rods 17 above the uppermost annular member 16.

The spider frame 31 en ports a central feed pipe 32 and the distri uting manifold 23 which surrounds the feed pipe. A plurality of grooves 33 in th'e upper portion of the wall of the manifold 23-are connected to pipes 34 adapted to supply a liquid of high specific gravity, such as mercury,to points opposite each of the passages ,28. The feed plpe 32 maybe utilized for supplying the liquid of high specific gravity (such as mercury) to the lowermost passage 28.

The bottom plate 14 and the superposed annular members (16, 18 and 25) to ether withtheir appurtenances constitute 'e rotatable element of the apparatus; This rotatable element is in eflectv av bowl or vessel whose inner wall is provided with a novel arrangement of passagesfor the-introduction and maintenance ,of the desired fluid current'and for the accumulation and dis charge of the solid particles of relatively high specific gravity. The inner wall of the rotatable vessel or bowl has aliplurality of V-shaped riflies formed In the annular members '16 and 25. These id particles undergoingfseparation or concentration accumuate in these V-shaped rifiles and form a bed of solid articles as'iindicated by?) in Fig. 2 of the rawings. The internal diameter of the rotatable bowl or vessel increases gradually and slightly from the bottom towards the top, whereby the mixture of solid paifeed pipe 32) tends to. move up the inner wall of the-bowl in response to the centrifugal action occasioned by the rotation ofthe bowl. I,

The operation of the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings is substan- 60 tially as follows: 7

Power is supplied to thedrive shaft 13 paratus is rotated at an appropriate speed to develop the desired centrifugal aetion. Mercury, or other appropriate liquid. of

high specific gravity in predetermined quantity is supplied to each of the aforementioned V-shaped riflles by means of the pipes '34 and the cooperating grooves 33 in the manifold 23. The material to be separated or concentrated, such as an ore or a slime, in the form of apulp, is continuously fed into the bottom of the bowl through the central feed pipe 32 and is carried b centrifugal force up the inner surface 0 the rotat ing element, thereby forming in the V- shaped riflies a bed of ore constituents (b Fig. 2); A fluid, preferably water, is i ntroduced in any appropriate manner into the distributing manifold 23 and is thereupondistributed to each of the chambers 20.

in each annular member 16. The mercury, being heavier than any of the ore constituents occupies the outer portion of each V- shaped rifile, as indicated generally by the sha fluid, in the chambers 20, byvirtue of its centrifugal and hydraulic head, flows through therelativelly small holes 24 into; t ence through the bedthe passages 28 and of the ore constituents in the V-shaped riflles. This flow of water maintains the bed of ore constituents in a more or less mobile condition, thus permitting the articles of heavy minerals to displace partic es of lighter minerals and also permitting the particles of heavy minerals to progress towards the mericury seal at the apex of the U formed by the passages 27 and 28.

As the quantity of heavy mineral particlesjzaccumulates at the apex of the V- shaped riflles and in the passages. 28, the pressure of these heavy mineral particles due to centrifugal force becomes sufiici'ent to force the mercury to and slightly beyond the outer extremity of the upper horizontal edge of the annularmember 25. A. rtion of the heavy .mineral particles is t ereby forced into the passage 27 and gradually progresses'through this passage into the dis charge compartments 29, from whencethe heavy mineral particles are discharged by centrifugal, action into the respective launders 30. y

The lighter mineral particles flow with the current along the passage 28, in a direction opposite to the direction of the centrifu a1 action. v Thevelocity of flow of the liqui current in the. passage 28 is such as to overcome'the effect of the'centrifugalacing a in Fig. 2. The water, or other tion on the solid particles of lower specific gravity but insuflicient to overcome the eflect of the centrifugal action on the solid particles of higher specific gravity As a result the particles of lower ispecificgravity pass along with the fluid and the rotatable element or bowl of theap-" current and are carried up the inner wall of ,therotating element or bowl. At each V- action takes place, andthe ore or other mai a product or concentrate of lower amass terial progressing towards the top .of the rotating element or bowl becomes gradually depleted of particles of heavy minerals. The tailings are discharged from the apparatus, by centrifugal force, over the top of the uppermost annular member 16 into the tailings launder or hopper 35.

The U formed by the passages 27 and 28 functions as a seal for regulating and controlling the dischar e of the solids of higher s ecific gravity. t will be observed that t e passages 27 and 28 are so related that the effect of centrifugal action tends to force the solid articles towards the bottom of the U formed by these passages. In other words, the passages 27 and 28 constitute in effect a two-part discharge assage, in one part of which the effect of t e centrifu a1 action is substantially op ositein direction to the effect of the centri ugal action in the other art whereby the discharge of solids from t is two-part passage is regulated b the balancing of the effects of t e centri ugal action in the two parts thereof ion the effect of the centrifugal action on the particles in the passage 28 overcomes and over-powers the efl'ect of the centrifugal action on the particles in the passage 27, then some of the articles in the passage 27 are forced out of this passage into t e compartment 29 and are thrown therefrom by the centrifugal action into one of the launders 30.

The mercury sealin the passages 27 and 28 may be adjusted so as to automatically discharge from each riflie a product or concentrate of predetermined density or grade. Thus, the the two-part passages 27-28 may be independently controlled and adjusted so as to obtain a roduct or concentrate of high density or liigh grade in the lower riflles and density or lower grade in the up or rifiies. In this manner the operation 0 the apparatus can be controlled and minimum loss of values in the tailings insured. The use of mercury, or similar fluid seal, at the apex of the V-sha ed riflies is not absolutely essential, but have found the mercury seal of particular advantage as a fluid base so that the balance of pressures in the V-sha ed rif- Has will not be obstructed by packe solids.

The flow of- Water may be lndependently regulated in each riffie'; As a result of the V-shape of the rifiies the velocity of flow of the fluid current and the consequent sorting action is a maximum at the apex of the riifie and a minimum at the inner surface of the bed of solid particles indicated generally in Fig. 2 by b). In t is r nanner the concentrate or heavy mineral particles are efi'ectively cleaned before their' discharge without causing suilicient flow to carry valuespast the rifile. The water may be quantity of mercury in each of.

supplied continuously or intermittently at prises discharging the solids of hi her specific gravity through a discharge pat of such character that centrifu al force acting upon the accumulating so ids of higher specific gravity efl'ects a'substantially contmuous movement of such'solids through a liquid seal oplr'atively maintained in the" discharge pat by centrifugal action, and maintaining said accumulating solids of higher specific gravit in a substantially mobile condition by t e action of a fluid other than the sealing liquid which flows opposite in effect to the action of centri- 'fuga'l force u on said accumulating solids.

2. The met 0d of separating finely divided solids of difierent densities which com rises subjecting a mixture of such soli to centrifugal action and a fluid which finely divided solids of different Y densities y centrifugal action which comflows o posite in effect to the action of centrifu a force whereby speci 'c gravity are carried along by the centrifugal action against the fluid while solids 0 lower speci c gravity are carried along by the fluid to an appropriate dis charge, and discharging the solids of hi her gravity through a discharge pat of such character that centrifugal force acting a on the'accumulating solids of higher speci c gravity effects a substantially contlnuous movement of such solids through a liquid other than the fluid which carries along solids of lower specific gravity which is operatively maintained as a liquld seal in'the dischar e bath by centrifugal action.

'3. The met od of se arating finely vided solids of different densities which comprises subjecting a mixture of such solids to centrifugal action and a fluid which-"flows opposite in effect to the actionv of centrifuga force whereby solids of higher specific gravity are carried along by the centrifugal action against the fluid while solids of lower s ecific gravity are carried along by the aid t6 an appropriate discharge, and discharging the solids of higher specific gravity through a two-part assage and a liquid operatiively maintaine in the passage other than the fluid whibh carries along solids of lower specific gravity, the effect of the cen trifugal action in one part of the two part passage being opposed by the effect of the centrifugal action in the other part whereby the discharge of the solids from said pas sage is regulated by the balancing of the effects of the centrifugal actions in the two parts of the passage.

vided solids of clifierent densities which solids of higher gravity are carried along by the fluid current to an appro riate dischar e, and discharging the solids 0 higher speci c gravity through a inercury seal contained in a two-part passage in one part of which the effect of the centrifu al actiomis substantially opposed to thee ect of the centrifugal action in the other art whereby the discharge of the solids y said mercury sealris regulated b the balancin of the ef'fectsof'the centri ugal actions in the two parts of the passa e.

5. The method of se 'arating finely divided solids of different ensities which comprises subjecting the mixture of such solids to the action of centrifugal force while suspended in a liquid flowing in a direction substantially o posite to the direction of the centrifugal orce and at such a velocity as to overcome the eflect of the centrifugal action on thesolids of lower specific gravity while insufficient to overcome the effect of the centrifugal action on solids of higher specific gravlty, maintaining an accumulation of solids of the centrifugal separation, subjecting said accumulation of solids to the cleaning action of the liquid flowing in a direction opposite to the direction of the centrifugal is regulate force, and-discharging the solids of higher in one part c trifugal action is opposed by the effect Qi the centrifugal action in the other part, whereby the dischar e of the solids from said passage by the balancing of the effects of the centrifugal actions in the two parts of the passage.

6. An a paratus for the separation of finely divi ed solids of different densities comprising a rotatable bowl having a plurality of superposed V-shaped riflies on its inner wall, a series of U-shaped dischargepassages having one arm communicating with the apex'of one-of said riflies and the other arm communicating with a discharge compartment, means for causing a fluid current to flow inwardly from the apex of each of said riflies, and means in the other arm actuated by the action of centrifugal force for regulating the discharge of separated solids.

'7'. In an apparatus of-the character described, a rotatable drum comprising a chamber for the reception of the material to be treated, means for introducing the material to be treated, means for introducing a supply of liquid tothe outer limits of the concentratin chamber, connected with the outer limit of the 0on centrating chamber and forming with it a through a two-part assage which the effect of t e cen-' an annular channel U for discharging automatically a product by the operation of balanced forces, and a mercury seal in the U.

8. Ian apparatus of the character described, a rotatable drum comprising a series of annular V-shaped rifiies for the reception of the material to be treated, means for introducin a supply of liquid to the apex of the ri es, an annular channel connected to the apex of each riflie and forming with it an automatic discharging U, a mercury seal in the U forming a fluid base for the operation of the balanced discharging forces.

9. Anyapparatiis for the concentration of ores com nsin'ga vessel adapted to contain a finely ivided" suspended in a liquid, a discharge passage in the vessel, means for directing the ere constituents toward the discharge passage by centrifugal action, a fluid conduit associated with said dischar passage into t e vessel in a direction opposed to said centrifugal action thereby segregate the desired eavy ore constituents near the discharge passage and t'dremove therefrom the remaining ore constituents, means for discharging a portion of said desiredhea ore constituents in response to said centri ugal action and for permitting cleaningof the remaining portion of the heavy ore constituents by the action of the fluid flows mg in a direction opposed to the centrifugal action, and means for removin said remaining-ore constituents by the. ow of said fluid. l

' 10. An apparatus for the concentration'ofores comprising a vessel adapted to contain a finely divided ore suspended in a liquid,

desired heavy ore constituents near 'the discharge passage and to remove therefrom the remaining ore constituents, means for maintaining an accumulation of a predetermined quantity of the desired heavy ore constituents near said discharge "passage and permittingdischarge of an excess of the de-' sired ore constituents by centrifugal action,

and 'means for removing said remaining ore I constituents by the flow of said fluid.

'11. An apparatus for the concentration of ores comprising a vessel adapted to contain a finely divided oresuspended in a" liquid, anannular discharge passage extending away from and then toward the interior of the vessel, means for directing the ore constituents toward the discharge passage by centrifugal action, a fluid conduit associated with said discharge passage and adapted to and adapted to direct a flow of fluid I i directing the ore constituents toward the centrifugal action to'thereby segregate the y 1 direct a flow of fluid into the vessel in a direction opposed to said centrifugal action to thereby-segregate the desired heavy ore constituents near the discharge passage and remove therefrom the remaining ore constituents, means for maintaining in said dis-" charge passagea liquid of high specific gravlty n such quantity -as to maintain an accumulation of a predetermined quantity of" said heavy ore constituents and permit discharge of anexcess of the desired heavy ore constituents by centrifugal action,'andmeans for removing said remainin' ore constituents by the, flow of saidliqui a '12. An apparatus vfor the concentration of orescomprisinga vessel adapted to con- ..tain a finely divided ore suspended in a liquid, an annular discharge passage extendcentrifugal action, means for causing a flow ofthe liquid in a direction opposed to saidcentrifugal action to thereby segregate the mg away. from and then toward the interior of the vessel, meansfor directing the ore constituents toward the discharge outletby heavy ore constituents near the discharge passage andto removetherefrom the remaining ore constituents means for maintaining in'said discharge passage a liquid of high specific gravity in suchquantit as to maintain an accumulation of a, pre etermined quantity of said heavy-ore constltuents and permit said liquid; .;1

In testimony whereof Iaflix -my signa- 'ture. I

HE-N RY fALFRED DO'E' NERQ- discharge of an exacess of the desired heavy I ore-constituents by centrifugal action and means for removing said remaining ore constltuents by the fiow of said liquid,

ores comprising-a vessel adapted to contain a finely divided ore suspended in a liquid, an annular discharge passage extending o'ut -ward' and thentoward the interior of the vessel, means for'directing the ore constituents toward the discharge passageby centrifugal action a liquid conduitcommunieating withthe outward extending portion of the discharge passage for introducin liquid in a direction opposed to the-trave of the ore-constituents to thereby segregate the desired heavy ore constituents near the.

discharge passage and remove therefrom the as '13,.AI1 appartus for the concentration of I 

